Fortune-telling apparatus.



w. M. HAMILTON.

FORTUNE TELLING APPARATUS. I APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1913. 1,092,354, I Patented Apr. 7, 191

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' INVENTOH W'Z'Zv'a/m M Jia milieu By I .v

W. M. HAMILTON.

FORTUNE TELLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1913.

1,092,354. Patented Apr. 7, 1914 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: l

W. M. HAMILTON.

FORTUNE TELLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1913.-

1,092,354. atented Apr..7, 19M 3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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WITNESSES: IVVEN T01? t'llt mzi'l l amillon Wm 4 7 4.9 By

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-, WASHINGTON, D. c,

WILLIAM M. HAMILTON, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FORTUNE-TELLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. *7, 1914..

Application filed July 22, 1913. Serial No. 780,422.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. HAMIL- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fortune-Telling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fortune telling apparatus, the object of the invention being to utilize a magnet which is hidden from view to move a cylinder up an inclined path, and provide means for controlling the magnet so as to stop the cylinder wherever desired.

A further object is to provide improvements of this character which are entirely under the control of the operator and which are designed to mystify the public and carry out the operation without the necessity of the operator placing his hands upon the apparatus.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a view in transverse section on an enlarged scale through the chemical housing 16. Fig, 3 is an enlarged plan view of the electromagnet and its carriage. Fig. 4: is a view in longitudinal section through the center of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 isa plan view partly broken away. Fig. 6 is a view in longitudinal section through the center of the apparatus. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the talismans. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a pad or tablet. Fig. 9 is a view in section on the line 99 of Fig. 6. Fig 10 is a view in side elevation on an enlarged scale illustrating the mechanical means for reversing the electric motor, and Fig. 11 is a plan view of Fig. 10.

1 represents a casing which is supported at an incline by tubular posts 2 and 3. The casing 1 is of general oblong shape and is coveredby a plate 4 which may be of glass or other suitable material painted or otherwise rendered opaque, and divided by lines 5 into a plurality of spaces 6. These spaces contain words purporting to tell fortunes and on the sides of the casing 1 opposite the several spaces 6, receptacles 7 are located and are adapted to contain talismans 8.

The talismans 8 may of course be printed and ornamented in various ways, but pref erably will contain words conforming to the instructions on the various spaces 6. At the lower forward end of casing 1, a chamber 9 is provided which projects above plate 41 and forms a shoulder 10 limiting the downward movement of a cylinder 11 which is adapted to roll on plate 6. This cylinder 11 is preferably of soft iron so that it will readily follow a magnet 12 which is supported on a wheel carriage 13, the latter adapted to run on a track 14 secured in caslng 1.

The enlarged chamber 9 acts as a housing to accommodate the carriage 13 and has a rest for the cylinder 11 in its lowest position. A plate 15 covers the top of this casing and contains suitable print-ed matter. At the upper end of casing 1, a housing 16 1s provlded and is adapted to contain in suitable receptacles 17 chemicals which give forth a vapor and cause invisible ink to become visible when subjected to the action of the vapor. This housing 16 is closed except at its lower end where an opening 18 is provided normally closed by a hinged door 19. The hinge pin 20 of this door 19 has a small crank arm 21 which is connected by a link 22 with a cam lever 23. The cam lever 23 is fulcrumed between its ends as shown at 24:. This cam lever is located in casing 1 and is engaged by the carriage 13. This carriage at its ends is beveled as shown at 25, so that as the carriage moves along the track, it will engage the lower surface of this cam lever 23 to cause the same to move upon its fulcrum 24 and open the door 19, permitting the door to close after the carriage is past. This door is suliiciently weighted to permit it to rapidly close and remain closed during normal conditions.

The carriage 13 is drawn upwardly by means of a cable 26 secured at one end to the carriage and passed over a pulley 27 in the upper end of easing 1. This cable 26 then passes through tubular post 3 into a concealed box 28 below the floor, and winds upon a drum 29 in said box. The drum 29 is secured upon a shaft 30 which is driven by a train of gearing 31 operated by an electric motor 32. The motor 32 is preferably of the four wire alternating type and is reversed mechanically by the movement of a block 33 which slides upon rods 34 and is provided with two sets of binding posts 35 and 36' respectively. These binding posts have spring-pressed contacts 35 and 36 which are moved into engagement with stationary contacts 37 and 38 respectively when the block is shifted, and this is done by means of a link 39 which connects to a crank arm 40 on a shaft 41. A relatively large gear 42 is driven by pinions 43 operated by the train of gearing 31 above referred to, and to this large gear 42, arms 44 are fixed. These arms may constitute a single device as shown or may be entirely separate, and

. they have notched ends 45 which are adapted to engage a pin 46 which connects two blocks 47 on crank arms 48. These crank arms 48 are fixed to shaft 41, and are elastically supported by springs 49 so that the contact of arms 44 with the pin 46 is cushioned. Through the medium of this mechanism above described, after the motor has turned shaft 41 for a pre-determined distance, one of the arms 44 will engage pin 46 and turn shaft 41 so as to move link 39 and block 38, and cause the reversal of the motor.

With the parts as shown in Fig. 10, the operation of the motor will cause the gear 42 to turn in the direction of the arrow until the right hand arm 44 engages pin'46 and moves the latter over to the right of Fig. 10 far enough to reverse the motor. The gear will then be turned in a direction opposite to the direction of the arrow to bring the parts to the position shown in Fig. 10.

The binding posts 35 and 36 are connected by wires 50 and 51 respectively with contacts 52 and 53 respectively. These contacts may constitute ordinary nails in the floor, and the owner of the machine may have metal plates on his heels so that he can step upon these nails to close the electric circuits and cause the motor to operate.

It is to be understood, of course, that when the motor drives the train of gearing in one direction, the cable 26 will be wound upon drum 29 and carriage 12 will be moved upwardly in casing 1. When the motor turns the train of gearing in the opposite direction, the cable will be permitted to unwind from drum 26 and carriage 12 will return by gravity to its lowest position.

In connection with my improved apparatus, I employ sheets of paper 54 which contain various printed matter in invisible ink. These sheets are preferably in the form of a pad illustrated at 55 in Fig. 8 from which the several sheets may be re moved by the person having his fortune told.

The operation is as follows: The owner of the machine announces that the machine magnet 12 causes the cylinder 11 to roll up plate 5, and when the cylinder reaches one of the spaces 6 containing printed matter which the operator believes best suited to the person having his fortune told, he opens the circuit by lifting his heel off the nails 52, so that the cylinder stops in such space. The operator then gives the person having his fortune told one of the talismans 8 out of the receptacle 7, and then again closing the contacts 52, he allows the cylinder to roll all the way up the plate and into the housing 16. Vhen the cylinder nears the entrance to the housing 16, the carriage will engage cam lever 23, as above explained, to open the door 19 and allow the cylinder to roll into housing 16, after which the door 19 closes and remains closed as long as the operator desires. WVhen the carriage reaches its highest position, gear 42 will have turned to reverse the motor as above explained, so that when the operator closes contacts 53, the carriage 13 will move downwardly. The cylinder 11 is allowed to remain in housing 16 long enough for the chemical vapor in said housing to render visible the ink on the sheet 54. As the carriage moves downwardly, it will open door 19 as above explained and cause the cylinder 10 to roll slowly down to the lower end of the plate.

The person having his fortune told then removes the sheet 54 and to his astonishment finds a fortune printed on the sheet.

The apparatus lends itself to a great deal of ingenuity on the part of the operator and a great variety of individuality may be expressed in the several fortunes. In other words, the fortunes will be difierent, and the operator will use his knowledge of human nature to manipulate the apparatus to best suit theperson having his or her fortune told.

Various slightchanges might be made in the general form and arrangement'of parts described withoutdeparting from my invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fortune telling apparatus comprising a plate, a. housing, and a carrier, the latte-r movable on the plate and into and out of the housing, substantially as described.

2. A fortune telling apparatus comprising a plate, a housing at one end of the plate, a carrier movable on the plate and into and out of the housing, and a magnet movable below the plate and controlling the movement of the carrier, substantially as described.

3. A fortune telling apparatus comprising a plate, a housing at one end of the plate, a carrier movable on the plate and into and out of the housing, a wheeled carriage below the plate, and a magnet on said carriage controlling the movement of the carrier, sub stantially as described.

4. A fortune telling apparatus comprising a plate, a housing at one end of the plate, a door normally closing the entrance to the housing, a carrier, a carriage movable below the plate, a magnet on the carriage arranged to move the carrier along the plate and into and out of the housing, and means operated by the carriage for opening the door in advance of the carrier, substantially as described.

5. A fortune telling apparatus comprising an inclined casing, a plate on top of said casing divided into a plurality of spaces, a carriage movable longitudinally in the casing below the plate, a magnet on the carriage, a cylinder attracted by the magnet and movable on the upper face of the casing, and receptacles provided at opposite sides of the casing in line with the several spaces, substantially as described.

6. A fortune telling apparatus comprising an inclined casing, a plate on top of said casing divided into a plurality of spaces, a carriage movable longitudinally in the easing below the plate, a cylinder attracted by the magnet and movable on the upper face of the casing, and a housing at the upper end of said casing into which the cylinder is moved, said cylinder adapted to contain a sheet havin invisible ink thereon, and said housing adapted to contain chemicals in the form of a vapor to render visible the ink on the sheet, substantially as described.

7. A fortune telling apparatus comprising an inclined casing having a track therein, a carriage movable on the track, a magnet on said carriage, means for moving said car riage longitudinally of the casing, a plate on top of said casing divided into a plurality of spaces under suitable captions, a soft iron cylinder adapted to roll on said plate and be moved by the magnet, said cylinder adapted to receive a sheet of paper containing printed matter in invisible ink, a housing at one end of said casing adapted to contain chemicals, said casing having a door normally closing an opening therein through which the cylinder is movable, and means operated by the carriage for opening the door to admit the cylinder to the housing and permit the cylinder to pass out of the same, substantially as described.

8. A fortune telling apparatus comprising an inclined casing having a track therein, a carriage movable on the track, a magnet on said carriage, means for moving said carriage longitudinally of the casing, a plate, a

magnet on the carriage on top of said casing divided into a plurality of spaces under suit able captions, a soft iron cylinder adapted to roll on said plate and be moved by the magnet, said cylinder adapted to receive a sheet of paper containing printed matter in invisible ink, a housing at one end of said casing adapted to contain chemicals, said casing having a door normally closing an opening therein through which the cylinder is movable, a crank arm on the hinge pin of the door, a cam lever in the path of movement of the carriage, and a link connecting the cam lever with the crank arm, whereby the movement of the carriage past the lever, causes the door to open, substantially described.

9. In a fortune telling apparatus, the combination with a casing, a cylinder movable on top of the casing, a carriage movable in the casing, a magnet on the carriage controlling the movement of the cylinder, a cable connected to the carriage, a drum on which said cable is wound, an electric motor controlling the movemont of the drum, and mechanical means for reversing the motor when the carriage reaches its extremes of movement in both directions, substantially as described.

10. In a fortune telling apparatus, the combination with a casing, a cylinder movable on top of the casing, a carriage movable in the casing, a magnet on the carriage controlling the movement of the cylinder, a cable connected to the carriage, a drum on which said cable is wound, an electric motor controlling the movement of the drum, mechanical means for reversing the motor when the carriage reaches its extremes of movement in both directions, said casing supported on tubular posts through one of which said cable is passed, and a concealed box inclosing the motor and said drum, substantially as described.

11. In a fortune telling apparatus, the combination with a casing, a cylinder movable on top of the casing, a carriage movable in the casing, a magnet on the carriage controlling the movement of the cylinder, a cable connected to the carriage, a drum on which said cable is found, an electric motor controlling the movement of the drum, mechanical means for reversing the motor when the carriage reaches its extremes of move ment in both directions, and a chemical housing on top of the casing into and out of which the cylinder is caused to move by the magnet, substantially as described.

12. In a fortune telling apparatus, the combination with an inclined casing, a track in-the casing, a wheeled carriage on the track, a magnet on the carriage, means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the casing, a plate on the casing divided into a plurality of spaces under suitable captions, and a cylinder attracted by the magnet and movable on said plate, substantially as described.

13. In a fortune telling apparatus, the combination with an inclined casing, a track in the casing, a wheeled carriage on the track, a magnet on the carriage, means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the casing, a plate on the casing divided into a plurality of spaces under suitable captions, a cylinder attracted by the magnet and movable on said plate, and said casing at its upper end having a chemical housing into which the cylinder is movable, substantially as described.

H. In a fortune telling apparatus, the combination with an inclined casing, a track in the casing, a wheeled carriage on the track, a magnet on the carriage, means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the casing, a plate on the casing divided into a plurality of spaces under suitable captions,

a cylinder attracted by the magnet and mov able on said plate, said casing at its lower end having an enlarged chamber forming a shoulder against which the cylinder normally rests when in its lowest position, substantially as described.

15. In a fortune telling apparatus, the combination with an inclined casing, a track in the casing, a wheeled carriage on the track, a magnet on the carriage, means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the casing, a plate on the casing divided into a plurality of spaces under suitable captions, a cylinder attracted by the magnet and movable on said plate, said casing at its upper end having a chemical housing into which the cylinder is movable, said casing at its lower end having an enlarged chamber forming a shoulder against which the cylinder normally rests when in its lowest position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM M. HAMILTON. Witnesses:

M. .E. DITTUS, CHAs. E. Po'r'rs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

